Hydropneumatic operating mechanism for guns



(No Model.)

H. A. SPILLER.

HYDR OPNEUMATIG OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PNEU- MATIC GUN CARRIAGE AND POWER COMPANY, OF HEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

HYDROPNEUMATIC OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,345, dated August25, 1891. Application filed October 3, 1889. Serial lflo. 325,863. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. SPILLER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Boston,in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydropn eumatic Elevating-Gear for Guns, of which the following is afull, clear and exact description.

IO This invention relates to hydropneumat-ic gun-carriages.

The object of the invention is to produce a gun-carriage whereby a gunmay be-raised and lowered rapidly and at will, and retained I 5 at anydesired elevation, and whereby the recoil of a gun may be taken upwithout undue shaking or jarring.

WVith this object in view the invention consists in the combination,with a pivoted gun,

of an obliquely-arranged piston or ram attached to the gun, awater-cylinder receiving the piston or ram, and a cylinder containingwater under pressure communicating with the cylinder receiving thepiston or ram, and having its piston-head operated by compressed air. 7

Furthermore, the invention resides in the combination, with a pivotedgun having a piston or ram attached thereto, of a water-cylinderreceiving the piston or ram and asupplemental cylinder containing waterand communicating with the cylinder receiving the piston or ram, apiston-head,and a compressedair inlet whereby the piston-head may bemoved to impose pressure on the water in the cylinder.

Furthermore, the invention resides in the combination, with a pivotedgun, of a pistonrod or ram attached to the gun, a water- 4o cylinderreceiving the piston or ram, a supplemental cylinder containing water onone side of its piston-head and having an opening for the admission ofcompressed air on the other side, a connection between the portioncontaining water and the water-cylinder, and

valves operated by a common rod and governing the passage of water tothe water-cylinder and the admission of compressed air to thesupplemental cylinder.

Furthermore, the invention resides in Various novel details ofconstruction, whereby the object of the invention is attained.

I have illustrated the invention in the accompanying drawings, in WhichFigure 1 is a side elevation of the gun, a beam supporting the gun, asupport having the beam pivoted thereon, and a section of the mechanismto raise, depress, and support the gun. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transversesection in detail, the section being taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Figs.3 and 4 are enlarged vertical sections of the check-valve and mechanismto open and close it, the sections in the figures being taken in planesat rightangles to each other, and Fig. 5 is an interior plan View of thevalve.

In the drawings, K represents the gun. The gun lies lengthwise of and issupported on a beam 0, which is journaled at the forward end, or towardthe muzzle of the gun, on a support L, shown as stationary, but whichmay be a rotating gun-carriage or other suitable support for the gun.The beam 0 preferably extends to the rear of the breech F of the gun.

P is a solid (preferably cylindrical) ram or piston entering the upperopen end P of a cylinder P The cylinder P is fixed on the gun-support L,and its axis and that of the ram are coincident and in an oblique lineof direction to the axis of the gun, so as to present the upper end,preferably rounded off, of the ram in position for the rest of theguncarrying beam 0. The axes of ram and cylinder are in the line of thearc of a circle de scribed from the axis of the journal of said beam asa center and in intersection of the axis of the gun atthe breech of thegun. The ram P is free to move up and down in the cylinderP and issuitably packed at P against 0 leakage of a column of water held underpressure in the cylinder below the ram to support the ram and through itand beam 0 the gun in position and to raise and lower the muzzle of thegun and to resist the recoil 5 of the gun when fired.

P is a pipe leading from the lower end of the cylinder P and upward toone end of a horizontal supplemental cylinder Q, and makcylinder.

ing water communication between said two cylinders. The cylinder Q isimmovably held on the gun-support L.

Q is a piston-head, suitably packed and free to move forward andbackward in and separating the cylinder into two compartments Q Q, oneon each of the opposite sides of the piston-head. The compartment Q isin communication with the water-chamber of the cylinder P as has beenexplained, and the compartment Q has a pipe or passage Q opening into itat the head of the This pipe Q is for the purpose of admitting air underpressure into the compartment Q of the cylinder Q, and for that purposeit is to be connected with any suitable compressed'air supply. In thepresent instance this air-passage Q leads into a horizontal air-chest Qheld on the upper side of the cylinder Q, and having a horizontalvalvestem Q extending, suitably packed through and projected from theopposite ends of the valve-chest, in position to be used to move' theslide-valve forward and backward on its seat Q connected to a valve P ofthe water-pipe P,

F in order that the valves may be, operated simultaneously.

The slide-valve Q, at its under and seating face and intermediately ofthe length of said face, has an exhaust-chamber Q open to the valve-seatQ and the valve-seat has an airpassage Q leading from it and thisair-passage. Q which is the exhaust. The valve and the exhaust-chamber Qof valve, as also the air-passage Q leading from valveseat toair-compartment Q of chambered cylinder, are relatively constructed andarranged so that with the slide-valve moved to open the air-passage Q ofchambered cylinder. Q to the air-chest Q the exhaust airpassage Q, whileopened to the exhaustch'amber Q of the valve, is closed to saidair-passage Q and so that with the slidevalve moved to close theair-passage Q of 'chambered'cylinder Q to the air-chest Q, saidair-passage will then be opened to the exhaust-chamber Q of the valve,and it in tn rn opened to the exhaust air-passage Q Q is a pipe leadinginto upper side of airchest Q, and to be connected (the connection notshown) in any suitable and wellknown manner toa suitable and anyWellknown air-supplyunder pressure, (notshown,) and all so that airunder pressure may be admitted into the air-chest, to be from it en-.teredinto or shut off from the air-compartment Q of the chamberedcylinder, Q by a proper adjustment of the -slide-valve Q as has beenexplained. The slide-valve Q is rigidly attached to its valve-stem Qwhich passes lengthwise through it and is confined on the stem byscrew-nuts Q so that by suitably turning and setting up the screwnutsthe valve may be adjusted lengthwise on the stem. The valve-stem at oneend Q is This valve-stem is also preferably" screw-threaded and receivesa screw-threaded n nt Q which is held movement, but free to turn in abearing Q rigidly held on the upper side of chambered cylinder Q andformed at one end with a vertical bevel gear-wheel Q meshing acorresponding bevel gear-Wheel Q held on the lower end of averticalspindle Ql turning in, but suitably held against movement through, abearing-block Q of a standard Q held on the chambered cylinder Q andsupporting also the bearing-block Q for the screwthreaded nut Q and itsvertical bevel gear- Wheel Q before referred to.

Q is a wheel-handle held on gear-wheel spindle Q for convenience inturning it. By suitably turning the wheel-handle Q through the gear andother connections between it and the slide-valve Q all as described, theslidevalve is moved forward or backward, as the case may be, on its seatin the air-chest Q The opposite end Q of the slide-valve stem Q to thatend Q carrying the screw-threaded nut Q is vertically flat-sided andintroduced through a vertical and corresponding guideway P extendingfrom side to side of a vertical shell or casing P in'upwardextension ofthe water-chamber P for the valve against longitudinal Pflhereinbeforereferred to, and in the waterpassage P leading betw-eep the ram-cylinderP and the water-compartment Q of the chambered cylinder Q. The flattenedportion of the slide-valve stem Q has aV-shaped slot or camway Q 4,which receives ahorizontal pin P held on the vertical stem P of thevalve P of the water-passage P The valve-stem P passes through suitablevertical guideways of the shell or casing P and water-chamber Pcontaining the valve P and the valve P has a suitable seat P inthewater-chamber P of the Water-way P so that with the valve on its seat toclose and with the valve raised from its seat to open the communicationby the water-passage 1? between the ram-cylinder P and thewater-compartment Q of the chambered cylinder Q. The cam-and pinconnection Q P, between water-valve stem P and slidevalve stem Q securesthe opening and closing of the water-valve on a movement of theslide-valve in opposite directions, and this connection is arranged, forpurposes hereinafter described, relatively to the opening of theslide-valve either to allow air to enter or to exhaust air from theair-compartment Q of the chambered cylinder Q, as described, to open andrelatively to the closing of the slide-valve, as has been explained, toclose the water-valve.

Under the arrangement of mechanism described with the slide-valve Qopenedfor the admission of air to and closed to the ex haust oroutlet'of air from the air-compartment Q of the cylinder Q and with thewabeen described, obviously by forcing air into and compressing it inthe air-compartment Q of the chambered cylinder Q the Water contained inwater-compartments of the cylinder Q and ram-cylinder will be placedunder pressure and to a degree sufficient not only to support the gunacting on it through the ram P and the gun-carrying bearing 0, but alsoby raising the height of the water column in the ram-cylinder to raisethe gun at its breech, depressing its muzzle, and there to support it ona confined column of water in ram-cylinder P With the slide-valve Qopened to the exhaust or outlet of air from the air-compartment Q of thechambered cylinder Q, at the same time opening the water-valve P and soopening communication between the water columns of the ram-cylinder Pand the chambered cylinder Q, the air-pressurein the chambered cylinderQ can be thereby reduced, so as to secure a lowering of the height ofthe water column in the ram-cylinder andthrough the ram and gun-carryingbeam 0 a lowering of the gun at its breech and a raising of it at itsmuzzle, as may be desired, on which, by

then closing the slide-Valve Q so as to shut off the exhaust or outletof air, as described, at the same time shutting ofi the watercommunication between the water columns of ram-cylinder and chamberedcylinder the gun can and will be then supported in its position ofadjustment by the water column confined in ram-cylinder.

It is thus plain from the description given of the mechanisms of thisinvention acting in co-operation with a confined column of water underthe ram and under pressure the gun is made adjustable, verticallyconsidered, by the rise and fall of a column of water under pressure andis supported in its positions of adjustment on a confined column ofwater, and again that the rise and fall in the height of said watercolumn is secured from action of a column of air placed either under agreater or less degree of compression, according as it is either in orout of connection with the air-supply under pressure or with theexhaust, and that the recoil of the gun when fired is resisted by aconfined column of water, all substantially as has been described.

It is preferable to connect the water-valve P and air-valve Q so as tobe operated simultaneously, as has been described but the.

connection described or any other suitable connection for the samepurpose may be dispensed with and the valves arranged for separate andindependent operation. Again, the water-valve 1? may be simply acheck-valve of any of the ordinary or other suitable constructions andarrangements, but such as to open against and to close with the pressureofthe water column in ram-cylinder. A watervalve P however, constructedand arranged substantially as described is most preferable.

Preferably the gun, as has been particularly described, is supported ona beam journaled on a suitable support; but obviously the gun may bejournaled directly on the sup port itself.

In conclusiomit will be observed that while air and water are speciallymentioned as used for the operations of the mechanisms of this inventionand as particularly explained the invention is not to be limited inthese regards.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' 1. The combination, with apivoted gun, of an obliquely-arranged pistonor ram adapted to act upon the gun-support, a water-cylinder receivingthe piston or ram, a cylinder containing water under pressurecommunicating with the cylinder receiving the ram and having itspiston-head operated by compressed air, and valves operated by a commonconnection and governing the passage of the piston-actuating liquid andthe admission of the compressed air to the piston-head, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with a pivoted gun, of a piston-rod or ram attachedto the gun, a water-cylinder receiving the piston or ram, a supplementalcylinder containing Water on one side of its piston-head and having anopening for the admission of compressed air on the other side, aconnection between the portion containing water and the water-cylinder,and valves operated by a common connectiou and governing the passage ofwater to a water-cylinder and the admission of compressed air to thesupplemental cylinder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HARRY A. SPILLER.

lVitnesses:

ALBERT W. BROWN, HENRY F. MCKEEVER.

